Trinity Sunday Year A 2023

Title

The Indescribable Trinity

Outline

Trinity Sunday is, for me a great celebration, but a difficult one

It is great because of the uniqueness of the Trinity among religions and how it separates truly orthodox Christians from heretics.

It is difficult because who can describe God? He is indescribable, for he is literally out of this world.

Look at our readings:

Exodus gives the self-revelation of God as Yahweh, he is, the ho on of the icons of Jesus. He is being itself, the sheer act of to be, and who can comprehend it?

2 Corinthians shows that the attributes of the Trinity can be applied to any of the persons. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” but Exodus announced Yahweh as “gracious and merciful,” as having hesed. The “love of God” is wonderful, Creator-love, Father-love, but Jesus talks of loving us and the Holy Spirit is the love between the members of the Trinity that fills us and joins us to them. Then “the sharing of the Holy Spirit” is right, for the Spirit brings unity, but of course the Father shared his son with us and Jesus shares with us all things that the Father gives him. These are all true, but also contextual, which is another way of saying that any virtue or perfection attributed to one person is also true of all. They are one.

Thus John says that the Father gives or sends the Son for the purpose of union, that is, not to condemn or alienate the world, but so that through commitment to him the world may be “saved” or come to life rather than go father and farther into alienation and death. So God is not hostile - it is our rejection of commitment that alienates us. Yet the Holy Spirit is there to, for he enters us and brings about our unity to the Father through our commitment to the Son.

Facit:

Who can understand these things? We can only grasp pictures and images. But they are enough to make us gasp in wonder and meditate on the mystery for the rest of our lives.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-4-2023: Trinity Sunday

FIRST READING

Exodus 34:4b–6, 8–9

4 Moses then cut two stone tablets like the former, and early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking in his hand the two stone tablets.

5 The LORD came down in a cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name, “LORD.” 6 So the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity,

8 Moses at once knelt and bowed down to the ground. 9 Then he said, “If I find favor with you, Lord, please, Lord, come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.”

Catholic Daily Readings 6-4-2023: Trinity Sunday

RESPONSE

Daniel 3:52b

52 “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestors,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

PSALM

Daniel 3:52–55

52 “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestors,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

54 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

55 Blessed are you who look into the depths

from your throne upon the cherubim,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-4-2023: Trinity Sunday

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 13:11–13

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you.

13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-4-2023: Trinity Sunday

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Revelation 1:8

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”

GOSPEL

John 3:16–18

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-4-2023: Trinity Sunday

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

TRINITY SUNDAY

Sunday after Pentecost

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Exodus 34:4b–6, 8–9

Response Daniel 3:52b

Psalm Daniel 3:52–55

Second Reading 2 Corinthians 13:11–13

Gospel Acclamation Revelation 1:8

Gospel John 3:16–18

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